Programs & Events

What’s going on at the library? We have plenty of programs for children, teens, and adults!

Children | Teens | Adults

Children’s Programs

SUMMER PROGRAMS 2025

We’re excited to start our Summer Programming on Monday, June 30th and keep everyone busy all summer long. Click here to go to our Summer Programming page to find out more. You can also download a Program Calendar there for July and August and find out what’s happening for teens and adults as well.

Get ready to see the world this summer just by heading to the library–we can’t wait to get started!

Babytime

Our summer Babytime session begins July 8th and runs through August 5th on Tuesdays at 1:30pm.  Babytime is perfect for little ones aged 0-12 months and a caregiver or parent. These sessions are drop ins only and it can fill up quickly! Please bring a blanket for baby to rest on during the session as we’ll be doing lots of songs and activities on the carpet. You don’t even need a library card to attend!

Babytime is open to everyone, even if you’d only like to come to one or two sessions. The new drop in format has been working well, but make sure to get here early–we can only accommodate the first 15 babies and parents. Once the room is full, we will put a notice on our door to let parents know they should try again next week and we’ll have a fun resource pack to take home. We’d appreciate limiting attendance to two adults plus baby, please, to allow space for everyone.

While babytime is aimed at providing fun skills for babies, it’s really for parents. You’ll have fun meeting new people and we encourage lots of interaction after each session. Get to know the person next to you and go out for a coffee—it’s a fun way to get out of the house and expand what you do in this busy parenting world you live in.

We’re looking forward to seeing everyone over the summer!

Storytime

Our last Spring Storytime happens Wednesday, June 25 at 10am. After that, we’re into our Summer Storytime session with Danielle!  Join us Wednesdays this summer at 10m here at the library starting July 2nd, and for special storytimes in the Carleton Place and Beckwith Heritage Museum Gardens on Friday, July 11, and Friday, August 1 & 15, also at 10am.  If you’re still needing more storytime sessions, we’ll also be heading to Waterside Retirement Village on Thursday, June 26, July 31 & August 28 at 10am. It’s a full roster of fun for the little ones and no registration is required.

Storytime is our weekly early literacy program for children aged 2-5. We sing songs, read great books and practice lots of early literacy skills in a fun manner. This is the perfect session for families with children of a variety of ages as we work hard to engage everyone through lots of activities and get kids to enjoy books. If your child hasn’t really had the opportunity to meet or socialize with other children, this is the perfect setting to get them started. We do a lot of repetition to make sure kids start to keep comfortable and learn about routines and following direction. It’s a great session to get your child ready for school!

This program is also provided in an accessible space, with access to our meeting space from our outdoor ramp. During most storytime hours, the library is still closed to regular visitors so please plan on using the side door access–posters are placed on the front door with arrows providing direction to the accessible space.

While we do periodically offer sensory-friendly storytime programming, there are also always sensory objects available for children who might need some stimulus-calming during the session. We expect these sessions to be a little noisier or busier than some programs due to the age of the children, so please prepare if you have sensory issues if necessary.

If your child is in need of accessible reading options such as Braille books, dyslexia-friendly options such as decodable books or audiobooks, we can provide you with options for reading at home. Please feel free to let is know ahead of time if your child would like some of these options, or if they have other sensory or accessibility issues that may prevent them from enjoying our space or the program. We’d be happy to try to accommodate. You can email Heidi at hsinnett@carletonplace.ca

No registration is required for this fun program.

See you at the library!

Intergenerational Storytime

Intergenerational Storytime will continue in 2025 at Waterside Retirement Village at 105 McNeely Avenue. It’s a great place to attend a smaller version of storytime in a quiet environment that really makes a difference in the lives of the residents at Waterside who take part. No registration is required–just arrive a few minutes early and be prepared to have fun.

New upcoming dates!

Thursday, June 26  10am

Thursday, July 31  10am

Thursday, August 28   10am

Thursday, September 25   10am

Waterside is an accessible space with easy-access electronic door buttons at the front door. Please feel free to bring in strollers or other child-friendly vehicles such as carts or wagons when visiting for storytime.

Many seniors don’t receive a lot of visitors and very few see children so this is a great opportunity for them to experience the joy of youth in their comfortable setting and try something new. Kids will enjoy the quiet, cozy environment of Waterside–we’ll meet in the front lobby and do all of the same fun songs, stories and early literacy activities that we do at the library, but on a different day in a different place. If you can’t make it to our storytime that week, you’ll have another opportunity to get out and enjoy an activity.

Waterside is located at 105 McNeely Avenue. There is plenty of free parking up front or at the rear of the building and we’ll end each session with a fun stamp, sticker or treat just to wrap things up. No registration is required–please invite your friends to come along! We’d love for these sessions to really grow this year.

French Language Storytime

French Language Storytime is finished now for the summer, but please check back in September for brand new dates!

The Carleton Place Public Library is proud to partner with Conseil des écoles catholiques du Centre-Est to offer a monthly French language storytime program!

French Storytime is open to children of all ages and is primarily aimed at those who speak French, although all levels of French are welcome. This can be a great session for parents who want to expose young children to the language when they don’t speak it themselves, and it’s also great for those in French Immersion who need extra practice.

No registration is required–just come to the library on one of the Saturday mornings listed in our calendar and enjoy a fun hour of stories and songs in French.

Book Dragons Book Club

Book Dragons Book Club is for kids in Grades 6-8 and is now finished for the 2024-2025 season.  Current members will be contacted in early summer to confirm their participation in the upcoming book club season which will start in September of 2025. New members should contact Julia at jhawkins@carletonplace.ca to see if there are any spaces left.

We read a new novel each month and meet in person to discuss it as a group. The aim of this book club is to teach kids to read critically, but it’s also a lot of fun. We do an activity and usually play at least one fun ice breaker game during each meeting as well.  All of our book clubs this year will be in person so please plan on having your child at the library by 6pm so we can start on time.

Please note: if the buses are cancelled, we do not run programs. Please listen to local radio stations on snowy mornings or visit https://www.steo.ca/delays/ for updates on bus cancellations.

Reading Rabbits Book Club

Reading Rabbits Book Club has finished for the 2024-2025 season. Parents of current members will be contacted in early summer with details about the fall.

If you have any questions, please feel free to contact Julia at jhawkins@carletonplace.ca for information about the fall season.

Wild Readers Book Club

Wild Readers Book Club is now finished for the 2024-2025 season.  Current members will be contacted this summer with details about the fall.

If you have any questions about this book club, please feel free to contact Julia at jhawkins@carletonplace.ca for more information.

Toddler Time

Please note: Toddler Time will NOT run during the summer months. Please feel free to bring your child to one of our fun Storytime sessions (see the summer program calendar for details) and plan on coming back in the fall for one of our fun sessions that happens on Tuesdays at 10:30am starting in September.

If you haven’t been to Toddler Time, then you’re in for some fun! Join us for a morning session open to children aged 1-3. 

This program is also provided in an accessible space, with access to our meeting space from our outdoor ramp. We expect these sessions to be a little noisier or busier than some programs due to the age of the children, so please prepare if you have sensory issues if necessary.

If your child is in need of accessible reading options such as Braille books, dyslexia-friendly options such as decodable books or audiobooks, we can provide you with options for reading at home. Please feel free to let us know ahead of time if your child would like some of these options, or if they have other sensory or accessibility issues that may prevent them from enjoying our space or the program. We’d be happy to try to accommodate. You can email Heidi at hsinnett@carletonplace.ca

No registration is required for this fun program of activities, songs, books and much more to keep your toddler moving and learning. This will run for a 6-week session then take a quick break.

Forest of Reading

How and when can you register?

Registration is now finished for 2025.

How does it work?

Once registered, kids will read 8-10 books in their grade category. At the end of March, we have a full week when they can come in anytime to vote on their favourite books! It’s a lot of fun and these books are the best books written or illustrated by a Canadian, so they’re extra special to all of us.

Is there a prize?

This year, everyone who registered for Forest of Reading were entered to win a Kids Gardening Prize provided by our very own Carleton Place RONA store! But even if they don’t win, kids will have fun trying to pick their favourite book of the season from the list of books in their category.  It’s the only Reading Program where a prize is given to a Canadian author or illustrator and voted on ONLY by children!

When do we vote?

Voting took place the last week of March.  Participants cast their vote for their favourite book in their category.  All book votes are tabulated to give us local winners and then the entire number of votes are sent to Toronto to be included in the overall vote.  Then, we drew from all of the entries for a great garden planting prize from RONA Carleton Place!  Thank you RONA for making this reading program extra special this winter!

Please email Heidi with any questions at hsinnett@carletonplace.ca

Summer Literacy Tutoring

Our Summer Literacy Tutoring program runs from July through the middle of August for kids who have been in Kindergarten to Grade 2 during the current school year. In early May, we contact all local schools and ask teachers to recommend students for the program–those kids who might benefit from a few weeks of tutoring one-on-one to help with the summer reading slump.  Our tutors prepare lessons based on the teacher reports and work with their students for a 2-week period to help strengthen skills, work on reading confidence, and encourage a love a books and reading that will hopefully carry through to the next school year.

This is a very popular program and spaces fill up quickly. Once all spaces are full, we will still offer a weekly “Reading Buddy Friday” program with the tutors that is open to everyone each week, even if they are not participating in the literacy tutoring program. Registration begins on the Monday of each week. Please call the library at 257-2702 for more information.

PLEASE NOTE:  Our Summer 2025 sessions are now full. If your child would still like to work with a tutor this summer, please see above regarding our Friday Reading Buddy sessions and be sure to sign up for each one! Your child will also still benefit from the fun Summer Reading program that begins on Friday, June 27 at our Library Lemonade Stand.

For more information, feel free to reach out to Heidi at hsinnett@carletonplace.ca.

Teen Programs

Teen Volunteers at the Library

Queer Sphere Crafting Circle

Queer Sphere is back for summer!  Teens aged 12+ are invited to join us bi-weekly this summer for fun crafting, meeting new people, and feeling welcome in a safe and encouraging environment. No registration required.

Join us on:

Wednesday, July 9 – 2-3:30pm for Terrific Tie Dye. Feel free to bring your own white shirt or item that you want to make terrific, or we’ll provide something for you.

Wednesday, July 23 – 2-3:30pm for Dinosaur Terrariums.

Wednesday, August 6 – 2-3:30pm for Zentangle Pages.

Adult Programs

Adult Book Club

Meets the second Monday of the month from 6:30 pm to 8 pm, in the Barbara Walsh Room.

Book club is a perfect time to relax and discuss some great reads.  Copies of books are available as eBooks, and are also sourced through the Provincial inter-library loan network.  Book club selections are made by members. Drop in for one session, or join us every month!

While all are welcome to attend Book Club meetings, the library is currently at capacity for the number of book club copies we are able to source through the Provincial inter-library loan network. Please place a hold on one of our physical or digital copies.

September 8, 2025 – The Gilded Hour by Sara Donati

October 20, 2025 – Theme month!  This month’s theme is “Graphic Novels”. Read any graphic novel you like. Need some ideas? Check out some suggestions for great graphic novels here.

November 10, 2025 – Table for Two by Amor Towles

December 8, 2025 – Oryx and Crake by Margaret Atwood

January 12, 2026 – Theme month! This month’s theme is “Non-Violent True Crime”. Read any nonfiction book about heists, thefts, cons, etc. where no physical harm or injury to another person occurred. Need some ideas? Check out our list of interesting non-violent true crime reads here.

February 9, 2026 – Demon Copperhead by Barbara Kingsolver

March 9, 2026 – Looking for Jane by Heather Marshall

April 13, 2026 – Britt-Marie was Here by Fredrik Backman

May 11, 2026 –  The Alice Network by Kate Quinn

June 8, 2026 – Bad Cree by Jessica Johns

Crochet Series for Adults

If you missed our great crochet workshop during March Break, Andy is dialing it back to make this even easier—and a lot more fun this summer!

Join us for a 5-week series where you’ll learn some basic crochet stitches, apply them to a simple project, and work toward a fun donation at the end of the summer to a great cause.

Each session will be 1 hour long and will teach each participant to do something important in our overall goal.

Week 1 – Thursday, July 3 (1-2pm) – We’ll learn the very, very basics. No need to bring anything–we’ll provide all the supplies.
Week 2 – Thursday, July 10 (1-2pm) – Today, you’ll learn how to use your basic skills to crochet a dishcloth.
Week 3 – Thursday, July 17 (1-2pm) – Building on your growing skills, you’ll learn how to make the classic granny square, but this isn’t your Granny’s square, that’s for sure.
Week 4 – Thursday, July 24 (1-2pm) – Today will be a crochet catch up session. Come and ask questions, work on something you missed, or fill in the gaps today. Next week will be the final project!
Week 5 – Thursday, July 31 (1-2pm) – On the last day, we’ll put it all together and make one or two or ten final items that we’ll donate to our local Interval House. They’d love to receive some handmade dishcloths, a scarf or two, or even a blanket.

You don’t have to attend all sessions, but this is the goal. You only need to register once for all of the sessions by following this link or visiting our Summer Program page on our website:

https://forms.gle/1UYZhCoqp8fuWZdN7

Spaces are limited so don’t hesitate—register now.

Cookbook Book Club

️ Cook Book Book Club: A Tasty Twist on Book Clubs!

Please note: The 2024-2025 Cookbook Book Club has come to an end. Please watch for details about the fall coming soon!

Calling all food lovers and culinary explorers—CPPL’s Cook Book Book Club is dishing up something special, and we want YOU to join the feast!

This isn’t your typical book club. Each month, we pick a theme, try out recipes, and bring our delicious creations to share at our meeting. It’s like a potluck party for foodies! Plus, at the end of the year, we create a cookbook featuring our favorite recipes.

When? The FIRST WEDNESDAY of every month at 6:30 PM.
‍ Where? Your library, where food and fun come together!

New members are always welcome, so come hungry and ready to cook up something amazing!

No sign-up necessary!

2024/2025 Themes:

September: Food decade: the 1920s

October: Smoked!

November: Crockpot Classics

December: Do More with Less

January: No Meat Month

February: Dumplings of the World (Cancelled)

March: Foods from the Movies

April: Deceptively Delicious

May: Brunch!

June: Redemption Run

Phone-tography

Alzheimer’s Society Caregiver Support

The Carleton Place Public Library is proud to partner with the Alzheimer’s Society of Lanark, Leeds and Grenville to offer a Caregiver Support group.  These monthly meetings for caregivers are offered to any person caring for a loved one living with dementia.  Join a representative from the Alzheimer’s Society of Lanark Leeds and Grenville for opportunities to develop a social network, coping strategies and to meet others in similar situations.

Drop-ins are welcome, but connecting with the Alzheimer’s Society beforehand is appreciated. Interested participants can contact the Alzheimer’s Society of Lanark Leeds Grenville at 1-866-576-8556 or e-mail Geralynne Smith at Gsmith@alzllg.ca.

Meetings held in the library’s Barbara Walsh Room on the second and last Monday of each month, from 1:30pm to 3:30pm.

English Conversation Circle

Please note: Our English Conversation Circle is finished for the 2024-2025 season. Please watch for more details about what’s coming this fall!

In the meantime, if you’re looking for English as a Second Language information or groups in Carleton Place, please contact the Canadian Career Academy for details about their ESL group that meets weekly!

If you’re a newcomer to our community and would like help getting established in English (help with Government documents, understanding important banking information etc., please reach out to:

Lanark & Renfrew Immigration Settlement Services    or

Local Immigration Partnership

Are you an adult looking to enhance your English-speaking skills? Join our English Conversation Circle at the Carleton Place Public Library!  In Partnership with the Canadian Career Academy, this program provides a supportive and friendly environment where you can practice speaking English, engage in meaningful conversations, and build confidence in your language abilities.

Program Highlights:

Interactive Conversations: Participate in engaging discussions on various topics.

Supportive Environment: Practice speaking in a relaxed and encouraging setting with fellow learners.

Skill Improvement: Enhance your vocabulary, pronunciation, and overall communication skills.

Participation Requirements: Some basic English proficiency is necessary to benefit from this program. A short English assessment will be conducted to ensure that participants have the required level of understanding to fully engage in the conversations.

Details:

When: Thursdays from 6-7:30pm

Where: Carleton Place Public Library

Assessment: Conducted on-site before the first session.

We welcome learners of all levels who meet the basic English proficiency requirement. Come and join us to improve your English, make new friends, and enjoy lively discussions!

For more information and to sign up, please contact the library at 613-257-2702.